Tobacco-fork.



No. 705,775. Patented July 29, |902..

W. L. MUORE.

TOBACCO FORK.

(Application ledMar. 10, 1902.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LEE MOORE, OF LACIE, KENTUCKY.

ToBACCo-FRK.

SPECIFICATION forming patof Letters Patent No. 705,775, dated .any 29, 1902.

Application lod March 10, 1902 A Serial No, 97. 571- (No model.)

T0 all whom t r11/ty concern: i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LEE MOORE,

a citizen of the United States, residingat Lacie, in thecounty of Henry and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Tobacco-Fork, of which the following is specification. c

This invention relates to implements `einployed in handling tobacco in drying or curing barns, and has for its object the production of fork whereby the sticks7 or laths on which the tobacco-plants are strung may be placed uponthe drying-racks in an expe-f ditious manner and with the expenditure of- In the drawings illustrative of the inVen-i tion, Figure l is a perspective view represen ting two of the improved forks, together with a number of the sticks or laths of tobaccoplants, and a diagrammatic representation of a number of the racks on. which the sticks are supported. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, enlarged, of one of the improved forks.

In the handling of tobacco for the purpose of placing it in the dryingsheds much valuable time is lost and much needless labor eX- pended in handlingthe sticks in stowing them upon the drying-racks, and to obviate this is the object of the present invention.

In thein'vention is comprised a stock or handle 5, preferably of wood, and with a fork 6 at one end-and afork 7 at the other end, the fork 7 being narrower than the fork 6, as

shown. The extremities of each of the arms or tines'7 of thefork 6 are formed with inf dependent reversed hooks 6 and Gl, th`e hooks 6a opening toward the handle 5 andthe hook 6b opening outward away frommthe handle. The extremity of eachdof the arms or tines of the fork 7 is formed withl a hook 7,open'ing outwardor away from the handle 5, as shown. The fork 6 is permanently attached to the handle while the fork 7 is preferably removable from the handle, as by a bolt and nut 8, as shown, so that when the ffork 7 is not required it may be removed. It may someltime's-h'appen that the implementhmay be required in localities where onefork only is required, and in that event the fork 7 might be removed.

In Fig. ll a sufficient showing of a' number of tobacco-drying racks and sticks of the tobacco-plants is made to illustrate the operation, theracks being represented at 9 and the sticks of strung tobacco at 10, 10, l0", and 10c at various points.

AIn thediagrammatic representation in Fig. l oneof the sticksof tobacco is shown at 10 resting on the lowertir or rack, the `stick 10a supported on the fork of one of the forks, at l0b resting on one of the intermediate tiers or racks, and at 10 supported by the fork 7 of-another of the forksto illustrate the various waysin which the'forks may be employed; The racks are builtso close together that there is very littleroom to move the implementsvemployed in handling the sticks.

Hence any implement designed to be employed in such localities must be capable of adaptationto the conditions and arrangement of the racks, and the improved.. fork' herein illustrated is admirably adapted to enable the operator to quickly and easily place the sticks upon the racks.

In operating the device the sticks are iirst placed upon the lower tier of racks by the workmen, and boys are generally employed for this purpose. Two operators are then disposed in each tier, (or two operators employed at a time successively in each tier,) one on the ground and the other on a suitable platform at a suitable intermediate point above him in the tiers of racks. The lower workman then engages one of the sticks with the hook 6, as shown at 'l0fl in Fig. l, and elevates it up as high as he can reach without turning the handle 5 end for end and hangs it on a rack as high as he can reach. l-Ie then allows the handle to slip through his hands until the fork 7 is within reach of I the'stick just elevated, when he engages the stickby the fork 7 and elevates itupkas, high as .he can reach and either hangs it on a higher rack or passes it to the workman above, who is also provided with one of the double-ended forks. The second workman may be located IOC) at so high a point in the barn that hewill have to pass his fork down a considerable distance below the level at which he is standing and take the stick olf from the lower workmans fork, the difference in width of the two forks 6 and 7 enabling him to do this, as will be readily understood. The second workman can then pass the stick on up in the same manner as the first workman, and so on as high as may be required, according to the size of the curing-barn. By this means the workman can handle and hang as many of the sticks as three or even four workmen can handle in the same time by the ordinary means and with less trouble and less labor and Without danger of injuring the tobacco.

The upwardly-opening hooks 6a on the fork 6 enable the workmen to lift the sticks from a lower to a higher level, while the outer hooks 6b enable him to lift them from this higher level to one still higher.

The difference in width of the two forks 6 and 7 is an important feature of the invention, as it enables the workmen to pass the .sticks directly from one fork to another and pass them on up to a higher point without taking-the time to place them upon the racks with one fork and then removing them and passing them on upward with another, as with ordinary forms of fork.

Having thus described is claimed as new is- 1. As a new article of manufacture, a tobacco-fork consisting of a handle having a fork at each end adapted to engage the sticks of tobacco, one of said forks being narrower than the other, substantially as shown and described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a tothe invention, what bacco-fork consisting of a handle having a fork at each end and adapted to engage the sticks of tobacco, one of said forks being permanently attached to one end of the handle and the other removably secured to the opposite end of the same, the said permanent fork being provided with divergent arms each terminating in reversed oppositely-opening hooks, substantially as shown and described.

3. As a new article or manufacture, a fork for handling tobacco consisting of a handle with a fork connected to one end formed of two diverging arms each terminating in reversed oppositelyopening hooks, substantially as shown and described.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a tobacco-fork consisting of a handle having a fork at each end adapted to engage the sticks of tobacco, one of said forks being narrower than the other and detachable from said handle, substantially as shown and described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a tobacco-fork consisting of a handle having a fork at each end adapted to engage the sticks of tobacco, one of said forks being narrower than the other and detachable from the handle, and the other, permanent, fork being provided with or formed of two diverging arms each terminating in reversed oppositelyopening hooks, substantially as shown and described.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIA M LEE MOORE.

Witnesses z TULL. DARNoLD, LUTHER BERRY. 

